Thyroid hormone down-regulates SIRT1

Calorie deprivation has been proven to extend life span and reduce the rate of aging in several organisms, from yeast to rodents and primates. Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), a NAD+-dependent deacetylase, has been connected to beneficial effects elicited by calorie restriction. Physiological adaptation to starvation requires higher activity of SIRT1 and also the suppression of thyroid hormone (TH) action to achieve energy conservation. Cordeiro et al. tested the hypothesis that those two events are correlated and that TH may be a regulator of SIRT1 expression in mice.

They found that SIRT1 protein content was down-regulated by TH in the brown adipose tissue and liver of mice. During fasting, an increase in SIRT1 protein was achieved by fasting-associated suppression of serum TH levels. These data suggest an important interplay between SIRT1 and thyroid hormone during energy deprivation. Cordeiro et al (2013) Journal of Endocrinology 216, 181-193.

Read the full article at DOI: 10.1530/JOE-12-0420.